Photo of the Week: Erzsebet Hid

Budapest is split into to parts: the hills of Buda and the vibrant Pest. Dividing the city runs the river Danube and over it are eight bridges connecting the two sides of the city. The most famous, the Chain Bridge, is well photographed and is visited by tourists to Budapest. The other seven bridges are not as known, but each have their own story to tell.

The bridge above, Erzsebet Hid (Elizabeth Bridge) is named after Queen Elizabeth of Austria- Hungary, who was assassinated in 1898. Construction on the original bridge started in 1897 and was completed in 1903. For 23 years, until 1926, the Elizabeth Bridge was largest spanning suspension bridge in the world. At the end of World War II, the Elizabeth Bridge, along with many other bridges, was blown up by German troops.

The Elizabeth Bridge was the only prewar bridge that was not rebuilt in its original form. Instead, a completely new bridge was built between 1960 and 1964. On the Buda side, the bridge runs into the base of Gellert Hill while on the Pest side, there is the March 15th Square, home to the oldest church (and building!) in Pest.